University of Latvia

University of Latvia (shortened LU) is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919.
History
The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia was founded on September 28, 1919, on the basis of the former Riga Polytechnic (founded in 1862). The first rector of the university was chemist Paul Walden. In 1923, the school received its current name with the approval of its constitution, the University of Latvia (Universitas Latviensis).
In the period between 1919 and 1940, the University of Latvia was the main centre of higher education, science and culture in the Republic of Latvia. The former building of the Riga Polytechnic on Raiņa bulvāris 19 serves as the university's main building. In the pre-WWII years, it was possible to gain higher academic education not only at the University of Latvia but also at the Latvian State Conservatory and Academy of Arts.
With the beginning of the Soviet occupation, the university was renamed as the Latvian State University (LVU) from 1940 to 1941 and from 1944/1945 to 1958. Under the Nazi occupation, from 1942 to 1944/1945 its name was the University of Riga. After World War II, over time the Latvian University of Agriculture, Riga Stradiņš University, and Riga Technical University separated from the University of Latvia and became well-known centres of education and research in their own right. In 1958, the university was renamed as the Pēteris Stučka Latvian State University, which was its official name until 1990.
With Latvia regaining independence, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia reconfirmed the Constitution of the University of Latvia on September 18, 1991. It stated that the institution is "a state establishment of academic education, science and culture which serves the needs of Latvia and its people". Alongside the Constitution, the flag, the hymn, the university's emblem, the rector's chain, and the official garments for the rector, vice-rector and deans were re-adopted as attributes of the University of Latvia.
The EuroFaculty, created by the CBSS to support reforms at the universities in Tartu, Riga, and Vilnius, was organized with its headquarters at the University of Latvia from 1993 to 2005. The Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy was merged into the university in 2017.
In recent years, the university has often faced serious reputational problems. Several professors have been caught plagiarizing. The current rector and his former deputy have been charged with serious crimes. A criminal investigation into the embezzlement of European funds in the project led by the former chairman of the Constituent Assembly of the University is underway.
Enrollment
The University of Latvia offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels of study and in October 2014 more than 14,000 students, including Ph.D. and exchange students, had enrolled in various study programs. Almost one third of them studied in business and economics related programs.
Organisation
The university consists of 13 faculties:
Faculty of biology
Department of plant physiology
Department of botany and ecology
Department of human and animal physiology
Department of hydrobiology
Department of microbiology and biotechnology
Department of molecular biology
Department of zoology and animal ecology
Faculty of chemistry
Department of inorganic chemistry
Department of analytical chemistry
Department of organic chemistry
Department of physical chemistry
Centre of food chemistry
Centre of chemistry didactics
Faculty of physics, mathematics and optometry
Department of optometry and vision science
Department of mathematics
Department of physics
Laser Centre of the University of Latvia
Extramural Mathematics School of A. Liepa
Faculty of business, economics and management
Department of global economics interdisciplinary studies
Department of economics
Department of finance and accounting
Department of management sciences
Faculty of education, psychology and arts
Department of education sciences
Department of pedagogy
Department of psychology
Department of teacher training
Sports centre
Centre of adult pedagogical education
Faculty of geography and earth sciences
Department of geography
Department of geology
Department of environmental science
Faculty of history and philosophy
Department of history and archaeology
Department of philosophy and ethics
Faculty of law
Center of continuing legal education and professional development
Student government
Chair of civil law
Chair of constitutional law
Chair of criminal law
Chair of international and European law
Chair of legal theory and history
Legal clinic of the faculty of law
Faculty of medicine
Centre of health management and informatics
Department of anatomy and histology
Centre of experimental surgery
Department of pharmacology
Department of internal medicine
Department of medical biochemistry
Department of medical pedagogy, ethics and history
Department of oncology
Department of surgery
Department of pathology
Department of pediatrics
Centre of social pediatrics
Faculty of humanities
Department of Asian studies
Department of contrastive linguistics, translation and interpreting
Department of classical philology and anthropology studies
Department of English studies
Department of Germanic studies
Department of Latvian and Baltic studies
Department of Romance studies
Department of Russian and Slavonic studies
Faculty of social sciences
Department of information and library studies
Department of communications studies
Department of political science
Department of sociology
Center for the cognitive sciences and semantics
Faculty of theology
Department of systematic and practical theology
Department of church history and history of religions
Department of biblical theology
Faculty of computing
Chair of computer science
Chair of programming
Chair of mathematical foundations of computer science
Chair of informatics lifelong learning
Methodological laboratory of computer science studies
Methodological laboratory of computing studies – the Linux centre
In addition to the university's various faculties and its medical wing, the Riga Medical College (Rīgas Medicīnas koledža), the University of Latvia offers most of the resources traditionally associated with accredited universities, including several libraries, research facilities, study centres, a language school, and a career centre.
Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science
The Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia (IMCS) was founded in 1959 as a computer research centre, now consisting of about 200 researchers, assistants, engineers, and software developers.
Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics
The Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics (GGI) of the University of Latvia is the reestablishment of the Institute of Geodesy since 1994. The researchers of the Institute of Geodesy (1924-1944) worked successfully on the research and education in many advanced topics of that time – development and adjustment of National geodetic networks, photogrammetry, studies of vertical Earth movement and research in gravimetric and magnetic measurements. Currently, the research areas are developed in satellite geodesy and geoinformatics. The main topic is the development of satellite laser ranging systems (SLR), both the hardware and control software. Two SLR prototypes were developed until 2010 by spending low expenditures. The third most improved model is under development now. All the knowledge and experience of the staff gained since 1975 is applied. Younger colleagues are involved in the development process.
The prototype digital zenith camera for studies of vertical deflection has been developed recently. The test results reach a precision of 0.1 arc second which is very promising for the improvement of the quality of the National model of Latvia gravity field modelling. The recent version of the National gravity field developed at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics has achieved a precision of about 2 cm which is much higher than the previous model (7–8 cm) used in Latvia. The high precision gravity field model is very important for practice. It gives the possibility to achieve correspondingly high precision of normal height determination using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in geodetic measurements.
There has been achieved at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics the high precision results in studies of vertical and horizontal motion of the Earth in Latvia by carrying out the analysis of the 7 year GNSS observations at the LatPos and EUPOS-RIGA permanent station networks.
There are developed the GIS database for Latvia and cities of Latvia, developed digital terrain models.
Amateur Art Activities
The university has a number of amateur choirs, orchestras and dance groups, as well as a student theatre. Minjona is a women's choir based at the University of Latvia.
People
Notable professors and lecturers
Indriķis Muižnieks, biologist
Andris Ambainis, computer scientist
Mārcis Auziņš, physicist
Kārlis Balodis, economist
Konstantīns Čakste, legal theorist and LCP Chairman, son of Latvian President Jānis Čakste
Jānis Endzelīns, linguist
Karlis Kaufmanis, astronomer
Augusts Kirhenšteins, microbiologist
Eižens Laube, architect
Jānis Maizītis, lawyer and second Prosecutor General of Latvia
Valdis Muktupāvels, ethnomusicologist and doctor of art criticism
Velta Ruke-Dravina linguist, folklorist
Andrejs Veisbergs, linguist
Notable alumni
Evika Siliņa, Prime Minister of Latvia
Māris Čaklais, Latvian poet
Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvian politician, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, former Prime Minister of Latvia
Klāvs Elsbergs, Latvian poet
Ivars Godmanis, Latvian politician, former Prime Minister of Latvia, MeP
Uldis Ģērmanis, Latvian historian and writer
Ivars Kalviņš, Latvian chemist, has worked on the foundation of mildronate
Valdemārs Klētnieks, Latvian writer and national Scout Commissioner
Guntars Krasts, Latvian politician, former Prime Minister of Latvia, MeP
Hugo Teodors Krūmiņš, Latvian playwright and poet
Kirovs Lipmans – Latvian business person and ice hockey executive
Zenta Mauriņa, Latvian writer
George Nagobads (1921–2023), Latvian-born American physician
Artis Pabriks, Latvian politician, former Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Andris Piebalgs, Latvian politician and diplomat, former European Commissioner for Energy
Ilmārs Poikāns, Latvian AI researcher, hacker
Einars Repše, Latvian politician, former Prime Minister of Latvia
Eliyahu Rips, Israeli mathematician
Alfred Rosenberg, race theorist and an influential ideologue of the Nazi Party.
Aminata Savadogo, Latvian singer, songwriter, finalist in Eurovision Song Contest 2015
Knuts Skujenieks, Latvian poet, journalist
Mikhail Tal, Soviet-Latvian chess grandmaster and eighth World Chess Champion, nicknamed "The Magician from Riga"
Daina Taimiņa, Latvian mathematician
Kristīne Ulberga, novelist, winner of the Raimonds Gerkens Prize.
Guntis Ulmanis, Latvian politician, former President of Latvia
Jānis Vanags, archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
Raimonds Vējonis, the 9th President of Latvia
Antonija Vilcāne, Latvian medieval archaeologist
See also
Libraries of the University of Latvia
List of universities in Latvia
Utrecht Network
List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
Kalpaka Boulevard Library
References
External links
University of Latvia Riga Medical College
University of Latvia Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science
Law schools in Latvia
Universities and colleges established in 1919
Public universities
Universities and colleges formed by merger in Latvia
1919 establishments in Latvia